Story By: By JO3 Joseph Rehana
email: pareha40@cv62.navy.mil
Date: February 27, 1998
The Independence Supply Department was recently announced as the winner of the 1997 Price Fighter Excellence Award, making this its sixth consecutive win.
Submitting 810 price challenges, more than 25-percent of the entire challenges made by commands Navy wide, the Independence Supply Department saved the Navy, and taxpayers, $1,340,000 in cost avoidance.
"We went out of our way to make sure our last cycle was another winning year," said SKCS (SW/AW) Robbie Brown, Indy's Assistant Stock Control Officer from Kansas City, Kan. "The most we had ever submitted before was 363, and we began winning in '92 with only 43 submissions. Winning it this year was a nice way to close out our time here, like icing on the cake."
The award is given to the command that challenges the prices charged to the government for goods and services and obtains the highest amount of reimbursement to the government.
"We have been submitting 60 to 80 challenges a week since the close of last fiscal year," Brown said. "It's not that tough since we have more than 100,000 line items to order each year."
Brown said as the orders are made, he'll compare the last fiscal year's cost with this years. Anything with more than a 100-percent increase he'll start the process of conducting a little research into why the price is up, and challenge it if a sensible answer isn't available.
Brown isn't the only one who has conducted the challenges, he said. Eight other Indy Sailors came to Brown this last cycle to submit challenges on prices they found unreasonable.
"The Navy's not buying as many parts at one time like they've done in the past," Brown said. "So it's reasonable that the prices will reflect a larger difference when we only buy 15 or 20 pieces, and not 1,000. But within these price fluctuations, there is still a need for sensible pricing."
With more than a million dollars saved by Indy's stringent price control and her ability to be responsible for more than 25-percent of all the Navy's Price Fighter challenges, Brown said there will be a gap to fill when Indy Decommissions later this year.
PHOTO: The Independence Supply Department was recently announced as the winner of the 1997 Price Fighter Excellence Award, making this its sixth consecutive win.